On the inside

In homeschool, we have been working on a book about feelings. It has been so much fun! Emma Grace and I have had great discussions about what makes us feel happy, excited, sad, etc. She has been enjoying this little creative writing unit very much! Each day, we have written a sentence and illustrated a picture about one of our feelings. Yesterday, the feeling was 'silly'. As I was watching Emma Grace draw a picture of herself being silly, I had to smile. She told me, "Mommy, I am drawing my eyes closed in this picture because I am laughing SO hard!". I love her attention to detail! What really struck me, though, was the way she even drew her tummy and arms- only to later color over her careful artwork by drawing the clothes. (If you look closely at her drawing, you'll see what I'm talking about. She could have easily only drawn a head, dress and legs... but she drew her whole body and then colored on top of it.) Wubs' drawing convicted me as I thought about an honest picture of myself. If I were to add up the time I take selecting and ironing my outfit, putting on makeup, and styling my hair... would it be as much time as I spend in my daily quiet time with the Lord? Some days, I could say yes. Other days, I know I take much more time working on my outside appearance rather than the condition of my heart. How appropriate that Wubs picture of 'silly' made me realize how silly I can be! It's VERY silly that I wouldn't walk out our front door without mascara but I would face the day without spending time in God's word. So, next time you see me, if my hair is a little messy or my shirt has a few wrinkles, I hope you'll rejoice with me! It will mean I spent some extra time working on the inside! wink! "We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."- 1 Thessalonions 2:4b